![]() We’ve invented a new universe, but not a new genre, of course.Ĭomments I've read see fans drawing a lot of parallels to the BioShock series. This means - we hope - that you’ll find Close to the Sun different from any other indie horror/adventures you’ve already played, but at the same time still feel familiar and have it resonate. After a lot of tailoring, we came out with something truly unique. We studied in-depth what we wanted, but also looked for what really worked in other titles alongside what didn’t. Taking a look at some of the famous titles that inspired us along the way, we knew we wanted to incorporate some of their elements into our game. You really need to believe in what you’re doing. Clearly, that shows that developing a game like Close to the Sun is a hazard on so many levels for a small company like ours. If you think about the horror/adventure niche and the size of other titles like Outlast or SOMA, you have to admit there aren’t many games out there that fit the same bill. There’s lots of room left in that middle area. It’s a market we feel isn’t too full of games because usually indie companies tend to develop either very small or very big projects. Those are some big changes indeed! So, with the three smaller games in your rearview mirror, what made Close to the Sun your “big one?”Ĭlose to the Sun is our attempt to enter what we like to call the “big indie” market with our AA title. After two years of development, through blood and sweat, I can proudly say we made it, but not just that, we made it bigger than we had initially anticipated. For that reason, we implemented big changes including relocating to a new office, hiring more people, and restructuring the company with additional managers. Needless to say, I was scared as hell because Close to the Sun was both huge and expensive. When the time came, after three smaller projects, I decided that the fourth one was going to be the big one. The company was started knowing that the first projects had to be part of a preparation for something bigger. I knew it would be difficult and tiring, but I decided that was the path to follow at that specific moment in my life. ![]() Once home, I faced some different opportunities and among them was the chance to open my own game company. I had been working abroad for several years with companies like Ubisoft, Metricminds, Crytek, and Square Enix and I decided to go back home to Rome for family reasons. Tell us how the studio came together and why you wanted to pursue indie development. Storm in a Teacup is a relatively young studio with three other games under its belt within a six-year period. Sitting down with Storm in a Teacup founder Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, who has worked at companies like Ubisoft, Crytek, and Square Enix, we discussed his reasons for venturing out on his own as an indie developer, the benefits of developing the game using Unreal Engine 4, and what the Unreal Dev Grant meant to him and his team. Emphasizing intelligent play over straightforward action, Close to the Sun pushes to stand tall on its own. As there are no weapons in the game, Rose, the game’s largely defenseless protagonist, will have to rely on her wits and puzzle-solving skills if she wants to survive a creepy voyage on Nikola Tesla’s fictional floating ship. Sporting a brooding steampunk aesthetic, you’d be forgiven for thinking Close to the Sun is torn right from the pixels of BioShock, but apart from their similar art deco backdrops, that’s where the similarities end. ![]() A horror adventure loosely centered on the works of Nikola Tesla, Close to the Sun showed immense potential early in development and was a recipient of an Unreal Dev Grant. A grimy tea peddler unwittingly unleashes an un-honored woman from the depths of her own soul… havoc is wreaked as an inter-dimensional tale ensues in this fast-paced mixed-media drama.By Shawn Petraschuk Italian studio Storm in a Teacup hopes to turn heads with its ambitious fourth title, Close to the Sun.
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